Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

KDWN

PARIS (AP) — Attempts to foster the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region fell short Wednesday as Western officials scrambled for even small successes to keep the tense situation from escalating.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said he canceled a flight home to Kiev after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged him to stay in Paris on the outside chance that Russia’s top diplomat might agree to talk. But separate evening meetings in the same building ended without Deshchytsia and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov crossing paths.

In an afternoon interview with The Associated Press, Deshchytsia said he hoped to brief Lavrov on a Ukraine plan to offer a pro-Russian public in Crimea more autonomy while still claiming it within the country’s borders. Any vote taken toward for autonomy would require international observers to replace armed groups in order to work, he said.

“Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away,” Deshchytsia said. “We don’t want war with Russia,” he said.

But Lavrov made clear he was not ready to meet.

Leaving the French Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked by reporters outside if he had met with his Ukranian counterpart Wednesday night. “Who is it?” Lavrov answered. “I didn’t see anybody.”

He said officials “agreed to continue those discussions in the days to come to see how best we can help stabilize, normalize the situation and overcome the crisis.”

“The discussions will continue and that’s it.”

The comments made clear how elusive any resolution remains in the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month. Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

In remarks to reporters late Wednesday, Kerry said at least some small successes were made during the daylong negotiations with each side and signaled that at least some plan was in the works that needs to gain approval from state leaders in Moscow, Kiev and Washington.

“I’d rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday,” Kerry said. He also said he had “no expectations, zero expectations” that Deshchytsia and Lavrov would meet.

“Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days we hope can bring us to that de-escalation,” Kerry said.

In the interview, Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea. It was a surprisingly conciliatory tone for the former Soviet republic that has accused Russia of an invasion.

But it also was pragmatic: Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community.”

Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

KDWN

PARIS (AP) — Attempts to foster the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region fell short Wednesday as Western officials scrambled for even small successes to keep the tense situation from escalating.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said he canceled a flight home to Kiev after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged him to stay in Paris on the outside chance that Russia’s top diplomat might agree to talk. But separate evening meetings in the same building ended without Deshchytsia and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov crossing paths.

In an afternoon interview with The Associated Press, Deshchytsia said he hoped to brief Lavrov on a Ukraine plan to offer a pro-Russian public in Crimea more autonomy while still claiming it within the country’s borders. Any vote taken toward for autonomy would require international observers to replace armed groups in order to work, he said.

“Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away,” Deshchytsia said. “We don’t want war with Russia,” he said.

But Lavrov made clear he was not ready to meet.

Leaving the French Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked by reporters outside if he had met with his Ukranian counterpart Wednesday night. “Who is it?” Lavrov answered. “I didn’t see anybody.”

He said officials “agreed to continue those discussions in the days to come to see how best we can help stabilize, normalize the situation and overcome the crisis.”

“The discussions will continue and that’s it.”

The comments made clear how elusive any resolution remains in the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month. Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

In remarks to reporters late Wednesday, Kerry said at least some small successes were made during the daylong negotiations with each side and signaled that at least some plan was in the works that needs to gain approval from state leaders in Moscow, Kiev and Washington.

“I’d rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday,” Kerry said. He also said he had “no expectations, zero expectations” that Deshchytsia and Lavrov would meet.

“Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days we hope can bring us to that de-escalation,” Kerry said.

In the interview, Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea. It was a surprisingly conciliatory tone for the former Soviet republic that has accused Russia of an invasion.

But it also was pragmatic: Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community.”

Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

KDWN

PARIS (AP) — Attempts to foster the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region fell short Wednesday as Western officials scrambled for even small successes to keep the tense situation from escalating.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said he canceled a flight home to Kiev after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged him to stay in Paris on the outside chance that Russia’s top diplomat might agree to talk. But separate evening meetings in the same building ended without Deshchytsia and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov crossing paths.

In an afternoon interview with The Associated Press, Deshchytsia said he hoped to brief Lavrov on a Ukraine plan to offer a pro-Russian public in Crimea more autonomy while still claiming it within the country’s borders. Any vote taken toward for autonomy would require international observers to replace armed groups in order to work, he said.

“Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away,” Deshchytsia said. “We don’t want war with Russia,” he said.

But Lavrov made clear he was not ready to meet.

Leaving the French Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked by reporters outside if he had met with his Ukranian counterpart Wednesday night. “Who is it?” Lavrov answered. “I didn’t see anybody.”

He said officials “agreed to continue those discussions in the days to come to see how best we can help stabilize, normalize the situation and overcome the crisis.”

“The discussions will continue and that’s it.”

The comments made clear how elusive any resolution remains in the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month. Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

In remarks to reporters late Wednesday, Kerry said at least some small successes were made during the daylong negotiations with each side and signaled that at least some plan was in the works that needs to gain approval from state leaders in Moscow, Kiev and Washington.

“I’d rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday,” Kerry said. He also said he had “no expectations, zero expectations” that Deshchytsia and Lavrov would meet.

“Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days we hope can bring us to that de-escalation,” Kerry said.

In the interview, Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea. It was a surprisingly conciliatory tone for the former Soviet republic that has accused Russia of an invasion.

But it also was pragmatic: Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community.”

Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

KDWN

PARIS (AP) — Attempts to foster the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region fell short Wednesday as Western officials scrambled for even small successes to keep the tense situation from escalating.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said he canceled a flight home to Kiev after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged him to stay in Paris on the outside chance that Russia’s top diplomat might agree to talk. But separate evening meetings in the same building ended without Deshchytsia and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov crossing paths.

In an afternoon interview with The Associated Press, Deshchytsia said he hoped to brief Lavrov on a Ukraine plan to offer a pro-Russian public in Crimea more autonomy while still claiming it within the country’s borders. Any vote taken toward for autonomy would require international observers to replace armed groups in order to work, he said.

“Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away,” Deshchytsia said. “We don’t want war with Russia,” he said.

But Lavrov made clear he was not ready to meet.

Leaving the French Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked by reporters outside if he had met with his Ukranian counterpart Wednesday night. “Who is it?” Lavrov answered. “I didn’t see anybody.”

He said officials “agreed to continue those discussions in the days to come to see how best we can help stabilize, normalize the situation and overcome the crisis.”

“The discussions will continue and that’s it.”

The comments made clear how elusive any resolution remains in the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month. Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

In remarks to reporters late Wednesday, Kerry said at least some small successes were made during the daylong negotiations with each side and signaled that at least some plan was in the works that needs to gain approval from state leaders in Moscow, Kiev and Washington.

“I’d rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday,” Kerry said. He also said he had “no expectations, zero expectations” that Deshchytsia and Lavrov would meet.

“Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days we hope can bring us to that de-escalation,” Kerry said.

In the interview, Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea. It was a surprisingly conciliatory tone for the former Soviet republic that has accused Russia of an invasion.

But it also was pragmatic: Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community.”

Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

KDWN

PARIS (AP) — Attempts to foster the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region fell short Wednesday as Western officials scrambled for even small successes to keep the tense situation from escalating.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said he canceled a flight home to Kiev after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged him to stay in Paris on the outside chance that Russia’s top diplomat might agree to talk. But separate evening meetings in the same building ended without Deshchytsia and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov crossing paths.

In an afternoon interview with The Associated Press, Deshchytsia said he hoped to brief Lavrov on a Ukraine plan to offer a pro-Russian public in Crimea more autonomy while still claiming it within the country’s borders. Any vote taken toward for autonomy would require international observers to replace armed groups in order to work, he said.

“Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away,” Deshchytsia said. “We don’t want war with Russia,” he said.

But Lavrov made clear he was not ready to meet.

Leaving the French Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked by reporters outside if he had met with his Ukranian counterpart Wednesday night. “Who is it?” Lavrov answered. “I didn’t see anybody.”

He said officials “agreed to continue those discussions in the days to come to see how best we can help stabilize, normalize the situation and overcome the crisis.”

“The discussions will continue and that’s it.”

The comments made clear how elusive any resolution remains in the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month. Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

In remarks to reporters late Wednesday, Kerry said at least some small successes were made during the daylong negotiations with each side and signaled that at least some plan was in the works that needs to gain approval from state leaders in Moscow, Kiev and Washington.

“I’d rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday,” Kerry said. He also said he had “no expectations, zero expectations” that Deshchytsia and Lavrov would meet.

“Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days we hope can bring us to that de-escalation,” Kerry said.

In the interview, Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea. It was a surprisingly conciliatory tone for the former Soviet republic that has accused Russia of an invasion.

But it also was pragmatic: Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community.”

Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

KDWN

PARIS (AP) — Attempts to foster the highest-level diplomatic meeting between Russia and Ukraine since Moscow ordered troops into Ukraine’s strategic Crimea region fell short Wednesday as Western officials scrambled for even small successes to keep the tense situation from escalating.

Ukraine Foreign Minister Andriy Deshchytsia said he canceled a flight home to Kiev after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry urged him to stay in Paris on the outside chance that Russia’s top diplomat might agree to talk. But separate evening meetings in the same building ended without Deshchytsia and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov crossing paths.

In an afternoon interview with The Associated Press, Deshchytsia said he hoped to brief Lavrov on a Ukraine plan to offer a pro-Russian public in Crimea more autonomy while still claiming it within the country’s borders. Any vote taken toward for autonomy would require international observers to replace armed groups in order to work, he said.

“Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away,” Deshchytsia said. “We don’t want war with Russia,” he said.

But Lavrov made clear he was not ready to meet.

Leaving the French Foreign Ministry, Lavrov was asked by reporters outside if he had met with his Ukranian counterpart Wednesday night. “Who is it?” Lavrov answered. “I didn’t see anybody.”

He said officials “agreed to continue those discussions in the days to come to see how best we can help stabilize, normalize the situation and overcome the crisis.”

“The discussions will continue and that’s it.”

The comments made clear how elusive any resolution remains in the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month. Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

In remarks to reporters late Wednesday, Kerry said at least some small successes were made during the daylong negotiations with each side and signaled that at least some plan was in the works that needs to gain approval from state leaders in Moscow, Kiev and Washington.

“I’d rather be where we are today than where we were yesterday,” Kerry said. He also said he had “no expectations, zero expectations” that Deshchytsia and Lavrov would meet.

“Today, I believe we initiated a process that over the next couple of days we hope can bring us to that de-escalation,” Kerry said.

In the interview, Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea. It was a surprisingly conciliatory tone for the former Soviet republic that has accused Russia of an invasion.

But it also was pragmatic: Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community.”

Mar
05

Efforts fail for Russia-Ukraine diplomatic talks

PARIS (AP) — Western diplomats couldn’t bring together the Russian and Ukraine foreign ministers for a meeting Wednesday in Paris.

The hope was that such a meeting could have helped start resolving the crisis in Ukraine’s Crimea region.

But U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry says he feels some small successes were made in negotiations with each side.

Kerry was and Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov were in Paris for a conference focused on aid for a refugee overflow in Lebanon from the civil war in neighboring Syria.

Kerry and Lavrov met three times to try to broker an agreement on Ukraine.

Kerry asked Ukraine’s foreign minister to delay his flight home in hopes of arranging what would have been the highest-level meeting between Moscow and the new government in Kiev.

Kerry said at a news conference that he did not expect the two sides to meet. He also said Russia’s military advances in Crimea have united the world behind Ukraine.

THIS IS A BREAKING NEWS UPDATE. Check back soon for further information. AP’s earlier story is below.

Pro-Russian citizens in Ukraine’s Crimea region must be willing to replace armed forces with international observers if the new government allows a vote for more autonomy, Ukraine’s foreign minister said Wednesday as several attempts to meet with Moscow’s top diplomat over the crisis failed.

Andriy Deshchytsia, in an Associated Press interview before he planned to head to the airport for a flight home, also struck a surprisingly conciliatory tone toward Russia, whose troops have taken over the Crimean government.

But only 90 minutes later, he said he would remain in Paris for a few more hours after U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry renewed prospects for a meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov.

But it never materialized, dashing hopes for what have been the high-level meeting between officials from Russia and the new government in Kiev since the crisis began.

It was the latest twist as Kerry and Western officials sought to ease the standoff between Russian President Vladimir Putin and the upstart government in neighboring Ukraine that ousted its Moscow-friendly president last month.

Putin responded by sending troops to Crimea, a pro-Russian peninsula in southeastern Ukraine where some are demanding a referendum for independence from Kiev.

Deshchytsia said such a vote would be unconstitutional. But he said Kiev is willing to consider giving more autonomy to Crimea and other regions though what he described as a plebiscite. He said that could only happen in the presence of international observers, and without violence or armed groups in the streets.

“So this could be done where people can express their will or how they want to improve life in their local regions,” Deshchytsia told the AP. “We wanted to deliver this message to the Crimea but they do not recognize us. So that is the problem.”

He said he “absolutely” wanted to inform Lavrov of the offer.

He also was unequivocal in insisting that Crimea must remain part of Ukraine. “There’s no question,” Deshchytsia said.

His message appeared part of a new appeal by Kiev to soothe demands in Crimea for independence. Ukraine’s prime minister, Arseniy Yatsenyuk, announced the offer of a local vote just hours earlier, in a separate AP interview.

Kerry met with Lavrov twice Wednesday on the sidelines of a Paris conference focused on aid for a refugee overflow in Lebanon from the civil war in neighboring Syria. He was expected to brief reporters later Wednesday evening after additional talks with French diplomats.

Deshchytsia said Kiev and Moscow are working to retain economic ties and trade, and said long-standing cultural ties between the two counties must be minded even as the West presses to penalize Russia for the military advance in Crimea.

Ukraine’s shaky economy could take a significant hit if the value of Russia’s ruble continues to drop, even though Europe and the U.S. are preparing a financial aid package for Ukraine, including a $1 billion loan guarantee for energy.

“We have to think of the outcome for Russia – how Russia will adjust to what has happened,” Deshchytsia said. “We have to all think how to find out the way to keep Russia in the international community. Our position is to use all the peaceful means, all the diplomatic ways to settle the issue without victims and tragedy – and without taking territory away.”